Denemek ALTIN - Özgür
REDEPLOYED
Guideposts
|February 2020
The hardest assignment for this military wife— starting over

TIME TO MOVE. AGAIN.
My husband’s next set of military orders arrived. Cody is in the Army. He was being assigned to Fort Hood, Texas—1,500 miles from our home in Alexandria, Virginia.
This would be our sixth move since our oldest daughter, Morgan, was born. In those 11 years, we’d moved about every two years. The moves were hard on Morgan, though eventually she managed to make friends. Her younger sisters, Brynn and Hadley, mostly seemed fine.
The one who dreaded these moves most of all? Me.
I’m an introvert. Some people get energized by a room of strangers. Social situations drain me. My comfort zone is my job—I’m a licensed clinical social worker who works on military family programs—my family and my home.
My idea of a good day? A productive time at work, home at a reasonable hour, dinner with Cody and the kids, a cozy evening reading a book or looking at something online.
Over the years, I’ve developed a small network of close friends, but making friends is hard for me. Meeting new people always feels forced. I have no idea what to say that doesn’t sound fake. I’d rather stay home.
Every two years, I went through the ritual known to most military families. Pack the house. Say goodbye. Drive thousands of miles. Find a place to live (usually off-post). Enroll the kids in school. Find a babysitter, a dentist and a hairdresser (the true trifecta of a military move). A church.
Last and hardest item on that list— for me anyway: make friends.
“At least it’s Fort Hood,” I said to Cody. Fort Hood is one of the largest military installations in the world, with more than 36,000 soldiers and some 12,000 civilian employees. Surely we knew someone.
Cody scanned his mental Rolodex. “Is Ann still there?” he ventured, naming someone we’d known a few years earlier.
Bu hikaye Guideposts dergisinin February 2020 baskısından alınmıştır.
Binlerce özenle seçilmiş premium hikayeye ve 9.000'den fazla dergi ve gazeteye erişmek için Magzter GOLD'a abone olun.
Zaten abone misiniz? Oturum aç
Guideposts'den DAHA FAZLA HİKAYE

Guideposts
Justice Served
Thanksgiving for this judge arrived early... and unexpectedly
5 mins
Oct/Nov 2025

Guideposts
Concert on a Clear Night
Dad never said much about serving in Korea, and it was hard to imagine him as a soldier. I remembered him singing, not fighting
4 mins
Oct/Nov 2025

Guideposts
Thanksgiving Masala
I was excited about my son, my only child, going off to college. I also knew it was taking him away from me. But one thing would always keep us connected
4 mins
Oct/Nov 2025

Guideposts
A Blessed Mess
I'd invited my new friend to church. I wanted everything to be perfect. Nothing was
4 mins
Oct/Nov 2025

Guideposts
The Teacup
It was more than just a gift from my grandfather. No matter where life has taken me, it has come with me
5 mins
Oct/Nov 2025

Guideposts
Runaway Farm
He was a cop with trust issues. Duke was a horse with a troubled past.How would they end up healing each other?
6 mins
Oct/Nov 2025

Guideposts
Sarah's Siddur
“We'll pray together at the Western Wall,” my friend promised
3 mins
Oct/Nov 2025

Guideposts
Taken for Granted?
I wondered if my husband even realized how much I did for us
5 mins
Oct/Nov 2025

Guideposts
family room
MEET THE PEOPLE IN OUR PAGES
4 mins
Oct/Nov 2025

Guideposts
My First Friendsgiving
I loved my family, but hosting Thanksgiving dinner year after year? That was driving me crazy
5 mins
Oct/Nov 2025
Translate
Change font size